Wednesday, October 17, 2012

October 15, 2012 (RIA Novosti) A military source in the Ukrainian naval port of Sevastopol told Russian news agency RIA Novosti that the dolphins and other animals will also be detecting mines along the seabed.

"Ten dolphins are now being trained for special tasks in the Ukrainian state oceanarium and the Ukrainian military are now regularly training the animals for detecting things along the seabed," said the source. "We are now planning training exercises for counter-combat swimmer tasks in order to defend ships in port and on raids."

The army has had a history of training dolphins to protect their shores, dating as far back as to 1973.

As well as attacking divers, they were used to carry explosives on their heads to plant on enemy ships.

The source said the army has already completed several successful exercises with the dolphins in finding underwater weapons in the aquarium and outside in open water. "Our dolphins found the items and attached devices to them which were fixed on their heads, after which a buoy on it was sent to the surface to mark it."